The Next Phase of Retail: The Impact of the Engaged Customer

At the dawn of the Internet age, when Amazon started expanding its offerings from books to just about everything else, wise retail soothsayers decried that the physical store was a dinosaur, soon to become extinct. Nearly two decades later, brick-and-mortar is still incredibly powerful, making up 93% of the overall retail industry. Shoppers told retailers there is still a place for touching the merchandise and trying things on. Heck, even Amazon plans on opening 300-400 book stores for the engaged customer.

So the narrative espoused by the retail industry changed in response to the market, and this time, it has changed to a message that made more sense. For the last few years, industry experts have been ushering in the age of “omnichannel,” or the point where a business’ brick-and-mortar, online, and mobile sales channels merge into one seamless experience for the customer.

It’s not uncommon for retailers to develop silos as they grow. But here’s the problem: customers don’t view businesses as a series of independent silos. They view a business as one solid entity and expect to have a consistent level of experience across all platforms. The puzzle for retailers is how to make this customer expectation a reality within their respective businesses.

Modern CRM systems are compiling loads and loads of data on customers, both online and in-store. However, putting all of this data together in a useful and meaningful way in order to heighten customer experience has proved elusive. It seems an impossible task to get all of this information to a store clerk right when the customer is front of him or her. But, digital signage can be the end point in which all of the data and analytics being accumulated on your customers can come together in a true omnichannel experience.

LED Display technology can be the means in which a retailer takes knowledge of a customer accrued through their online shopping history and leverage it in a retail store. LED displays can identify the customer or customers standing in front of it. The displays can access the data about that customer, analyze it, and change their content in accordance to the customer’s preferences. By using digital display technology to utilize the analytics and data compiled about customers, a retailer can drive sales. It’s the true meaning of omnichannel.

If you would like to learn more about the IR Top 500 clients we enable with display solutions or are interested in discussing your own customized solution please find more at nanolumens.com/retail.